Departures and Arrivals
by Kei Masaki
Summary: In the aftermath of the 17th Angel, an abandoned Shinji finds a safe harbor


Departures and Arrivals  
An Evangelion fic by Kei Masaki  
Evangelion is STILL not my property. Wish some of the  
characters were, though ^^.  
  
Note: This takes place after ep. 24. In this fic, eps. 25 and 26, as well as End of Eva, never happened.  
  
24 June 2016  
FROM: Ikari Gendou, Commander, NERV  
TO: Ikari Shinji, Pilot-designate Unit-01, NERV  
1) Effective immediately, your employment in NERV's service is terminated. You are therefore required to remove yourself from NERV Central HQ and the surrounding region within 48 hours of this notice. You will be transported by rail to Osaka-2, where you will be met with instructions. Failure to comply with this will result in your incarceration and court-martial under the terms of the Emergency Situations Act.  
2) In accordance with Emergency Act 12-456, all earnings during your time at NERV have been appropriated for the organization's operational needs. In conjunction with Emergency Act 12-456, Emergency Act 12-457 has been put into effect, relieving NERV of the responsibility of recompensating any employees whose earnings have been appropriated.  
3) From the time of your departure, you are hereby forbidden from attempting to contact any NERV or former NERV personnel. Failure to comply with this will result in your incarceration and court-martial under the terms of the Emergency Situations Act.  
4) You are hereby forbidden to acknowledge any connection to NERV whatsoever, regardless of purpose, or to divulge any information about your term of service. Failure to comply with this will result in your incarceration and court-martial under the terms of the Emergency Situations Act.  
(signed) Ikari Gendo, cmdg., NERV  
  
Misato-san was livid. It was the most life that she'd shown since.... since that day. "Kuso! That sonuvabitch-bastard! Typical of him, uses people up and then tosses them aside when he doesn't need them...." Despite her concern for me, I knew that I wasn't the only one on her mind as she said those words. Ritsuko-san.... Kaji-san.... I could think of a few names myself.  
Funny, that. I was.... numb? Ah hell, close enough for now. I should have been angry, I had every right to be. My father, my own father, put me and so many others through hell, and now he kicks me out without so much as a "thank you." Maybe I was, a little bit. But, for the most part, I didn't care.  
Everything else had collapsed; this was just the last piece.  
  
****  
  
At NERV, things were still in a state of shock. Kaoru-kun.... the last Angel was destroyed. NERV had fulfilled its purpose.... hadn't it?  
No one there seemed to know either. With Kaji-san dead, Ritsuko-san imprisoned, Asuka comatose, and Ayanami.... Ayanami. God. I can't even think about Ayanami right now. Anyway, Central Dogma was in a state of thick tension. Father had closeted himself away, leaving Fuyutsuki-san in charge.   
My discharge went smoothly. The papers had already been filled out, requiring only my signature. My medical profiles, plugsuit, and other specifically NERV stuff had already been disposed of.   
It bothered me a little that there was no acknowledgement, no ceremony. The most I got was a quiet handshake from Fuyutsuki-san. One thing I can't argue with Asuka about: we deserve something for all we've done.  
Still, I didn't fight it. Nearly everyone I knew well--I thought I knew well-- was... gone. I never even saw Father.  
So in the end, it was just me and Misato-san at the train station. Even though the 16th Angel's death had turned Tokyo-3 into a write-off, priority had been given to getting the train station and railway back online. For the life of me (which, admittedly, I didn't feel was worth much right then) I couldn't figure out WHY. It wasn't like Tokyo-3 could expect a lot of traffic right now....  
Misato-san wore a pensive expression. "You know where you're going, Shinji-kun?"  
I nodded. "Osaka-2.... and I'm supposed to be met at the train station."  
She bit her lip. For a moment, it was the first time we'd met. No destruction roaring in the background this time; the wreckage of the city was more than sufficient. "Shinji-kun...." She reached into her jacket and pulled out an envelope. "Here."  
I took the envelope and opened it. My eyes widened as I saw the thick sheaf of bills inside. I counted.... nearly eighty thousand yen. More money than I'd ever seen in one place.   
My eyes came up to meet hers. She smiled sadly. "The least I could do. Much less than you--than any of you deserve."  
I had thought all my tears had been cried after I'd.... I'd killed Kaoru-kun. I was wrong.  
I didn't sob, or drop to the pavement bawling. The tears simply fell. Suddenly I felt arms wrapping around me, and Misato-san cradling me. I felt warm wetness in my hair, Misato-san's tears.  
The numbness was cracking finally. And not for the first time, I felt chagrin at myself. Misato-san had been caring for me for two weeks while I was curled up tighter than ever before, but it was only when she gave me so much money that it had to be putting her in a tight spot that I was able to feel.   
I hardly remember the train ride. The last I remember, I was watching Misato-san as the platform receded. She still wore that sad smile, and had one hand raised in farewell.   
Sayonara, Misato-san.... mother....  
  
Osaka-2's train station was packed for late afternoon. I wasn't sure who to expect waiting for me.  
I certainly hadn't expected to be kept waiting myself. I had plenty of money, most of which I kept tucked deep in my bag, so I bought dinner and a book to read while waiting.  
My train had pulled in at about three-thirty. By eight, the station was almost empty, my stomach was full, and the book was predictable. And my ride was nowhere in sight.  
Ten came around, and saw the station empty except for me and the janitors. Fortunately for me, Osaka-2 saw enough rail traffic to keep the station open day and night.  
By eleven-thirty, I had pretty much given up. To hell with this. There had to be a cheap hotel or something around here. Grunting, I hefted my bag's strap onto one shoulder and began walking towards the main entrance.  
The doors slid open. In walked a man, wearing the dark clothes, dark shades, and dark expression of otou-san's security goons. He looked straight at me.   
"Ikari Shinji-kun." It was less an inquiry than a statement.  
"Yes."  
"I've been sent to escort you to your new quarters." He handed me an envelope and gestured to the door. "If you're ready...."  
We left the building. I flinched slightly at the cold night air; my coats were all boxed up and--supposedly--un route to my new home. As we walked, I ripped open the envelope and pulled out.... nothing.  
It was empty.  
It was about then that I felt the cold steel against the back of my head. I belatedly realized that he had guided me into a dark alley.  
Strangely, I didn't feel surprised.   
The tell-tale click of a pistol's safety being brought off, and the man's voice. It sounded almost apologetic. "Sorry, kid. Orders." I tensed as his finger tightened on the trigger--  
--shot upright, almost toppling off the bench.  
The janitor, emptying a garbage can nearby, shot me a withering look.  
Well. That was almost.... insulting.  
My eyes glanced at the clock, which read a quarter to two. Amazing; I'd slept that long without getting rolled for cash. I sat up, settling myself on the bench, and glanced around, looking for my bag. I found it under the bench, with an envelope that hadn't been there before.  
This time, the envelope wasn't empty. Inside were a key, and a map of Osaka-2. On the reverse side was written an address.  
  
One good thing about train stations and airports: taxis aren't hard to find. The guy I found lived in the neighborhood of the address--all the luckier for me.   
Said address was a nice-looking two-story house, one on a streetful of them. For a brief moment I wondered what it would have been like to be raised in one of these houses, to live a normal life.  
All right, so it was more like thirty seconds.  
I strode up the footpath to the front door, and dug in my pocket for the key. Before I could unlock the door, however, the door swung inward.  
And my eyes met hers once more. Eyes of blue-gray, resembling a storm at sea. Where she was concerned, though, they radiated love and gentleness. Her delicately beautiful features were the same, although her hair was longer and tied back into a short ponytail. She wore shorts and an oversized T-shirt, typical nightwear for those sensible enough to sleep.  
Her name fell, unbidden, from my lips. "Mana-chan...."  
Her lips curled upward into a wide grin, and she took my free hand between hers. "Okaeri nasai, Shinji-kun...." She drew me into the house, closing and locking the door behind me.  
I had barely set my bag down before she literally tackled me. Next thing I knew, I was lying flat on my back on the carpet, with her straddling my midsection.  
A long moment pased before she simply slumped against me and sighed contentedly. "I told you I'd wait for you...."  
  



End file.
